Perfect Fish Pie (with all the trimmings)

This is THE comfort food of England in many ways. Although many countries have their version, I cannot think of a more comfort food than a simple English fish pie. You cook this - and everyone eating it goes quiet. And when they have cleaned their plates with lots of "mmm" noises...they all sit back. Happy and content. Its just one of those dishes that does that.

Simple, perfect, fit for a king...Fish Pie. With all the trimmings.

Ingredients:    (Serves 4-6)

3-4 large white potatoes
knob of butter
3 cod fillets, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 skinless salmon fillets, chopped into 1 inch pieces
175g cooked small prawns
2 eggs, boiled & sliced
250g spinach, wilted for a few minutes in a lidded pan (no water)
50g butter
1 small leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
50g flour
about 400ml milk
grate of nutmeg
15g fresh dill OR 1 tsp. dried parsley


Method:

Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes and boil for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain, add the butter and mash. Season with a little salt & pepper and set to one side.

Put the raw cod, raw salmon & cooked prawns into a oven dish (about 10 inches) and top with the sliced egg and spread over the wilted spinach.

Make the sauce by heating the butter and frying the leek with the garlic on a low heat. In about 4-5 minutes when the leek is soft, add the flour and stir in, letting it cook dry for 2 minutes, whilst stirring. Then add the milk slowly until you have a double cream consistency. Add the dill and nutmeg.  It will thicken as you cook. When ready, turn off the heat and pour over the fish/spinach mix.

The best way to top with the potato is with the back of a dessert spoon. Take small amounts and 'wipe' onto the sides on the dish until you have gone all the way around (this way makes sure you have covered all the sides). Then fill the middle in with the remaining mashed potatoes. Use a fork to 'roughen up' the top and dot with a little butter, if liked.

Put in the oven at 180 C for 30 minutes and serve with broccoli.

Delicious...and a definite people pleaser!!

When I say with all the trimmings - I mean they are all inside. Fish, egg, spinach, dill sauce... all you need is simple steamed broccoli on the side. Perfect!

Linguine Carbonara

Often used making spaghetti, this is a dish originating from Rome, Italy. There are so many different things that have been added to it over the years and you can even buy a ready made sauce called carbonara sauce. Which to me is odd as it isn't meant to actually be a sauce.

This version sticks as closely to the original - no wine, no onions, no parsley, no mushrooms and particularly, no cream. You can, of course, add what you like but I believe the beauty is in the absolute simplicity of the dish.

You can't go wrong and you will love this simple, quick to cook, Linguine Carbonara.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

100g streaky bacon
40g parmesan cheese
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
250g linguine
black pepper

Method:

Heat your serving dishes in a low oven. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the linguine. While this is cooking, beat the eggs and egg yolk in a jug and add all but one tablespoon of the cheese, stirring well.

Snip the bacon into small pieces using kitchen scissors and dry fry (there should be enough fat in the bacon, if there isn't add 1 scant tsp. oil). When the bacon is beginning to crisp (but not brown) and the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the bacon and stir well to cover the pasta with the bacon juices. Take off the heat and add the egg, cheese mix and stir well. The heat of the pan will cook the eggs and thicken. Add a tablespoon or two of the cooking water to loosen and serve immediately. Top with the reserved cheese and serve immediately.

Note: I served this with some leftover ciabatta, toasted and spread with the garlic puree I made the other day. Delicious!

Dutch Frikandellen

I had these in Amsterdam whilst walking around a market and promised myself I would make them one day. And so, a couple of weeks ago, on the night I made the Bitterballen - I also made an apple and potato salad and a plate of hot Frikandellen! These are skinless sausages that you can make at home. No meat grinder and no sausage machine needed. They are boiled and then deep fried.

These are absolutely not difficult to make and taste home-made and delicious! Give them a go.

Ingredients:

500g chicken breast
500g beef (I used stewing steak)
225g either pork meat or pancetta (I used a fatty pancetta)
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp.salt.
1 tsp. ground black pepper
180ml double cream

small water/sofa bottle (empty and washed)

Method:

Put all of the above apart from the cream into a food processor and process until fine. Add the cream and process again until you get a raw sausage like consistency.

To make the sausages boil a large pan of water. Get the bottle and cut off the bottom end. Keeping the lid on for now, push the sausage meat into the bottle and find something that has the same diameter (bottom of a sherry glass?) to be able to push the meat out of the top. Remove the lid and push out a length of about 10 inches - use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut off the meat. The sausages will shrink in the boiling water to about 6-7 inches which is about right. Do a few more but not too many in the pan. Boil for 5 minutes and using a slotted spoon, remove from the water and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the meat mixture is cooked.

You can, at this stage, leave until ready to fry later - or you can fry them immediately. Pour about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil into a deep pan and heat until a scrap of bread browns in a couple of seconds. Add the sausages, a couple at a time, and cook until crispy and browned. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you do the remainder.

Serve in a bowl scattered with finely chopped raw onion with ketchup, mayonnaise and some soft rolls. Enjoy!!

Cherry Daisy Pie

This is not really a recipe. This is leftover pastry needing a home, but as it looked so sweet, I thought I'd share it with you.. Having made my Chicken and Wild Garlic Pie - I had a bit of leftover pastry. Now I am not one to waste, so I opened the fridge door - as I always do - for inspiration. There sitting in a small pot was some leftover cherries from some cherry cookies I had made the other day.

I popped the cherries in a pan with 2 tbsp. of caster sugar and a dash of orange liqueur and cooked down a little until mushy. I rolled out a circle of pastry and popped it on a small plate. Topped with the cherries and brought up the sides of the pastry to hold them in, and decorated with pastry daisies. Little egg wash and put in the oven at the same time as the pie (180 C for 20 mins).

Cute as a button and delicious with hot, sweet custard.

Chicken & Wild Garlic Pie

Yesterday was cold in London. A typical English Spring; raining and cold. It was a stay at home type of Sunday too. I needed to make pies - that would warm us up. In the morning I took three very small chicken breasts out of the freezer to defrost and rooted through the vegetables to see what could join the chicken... Wild garlic leaves. Perfect. I used ready made pastry. I sometimes make it myself but I wasn't in the mood. And no, there is nothing wrong with buying pastry!

A lot of people  forage for wild garlic - it does grow in lots of places. I didn't, I bought it in the supermarket. But that's because I really need to get back to my foraging books to research because wild garlic leaves look an awful lot like Lily of the Valley which (in natures typical way) not only grows at the same time of year - but grows close to garlic. And Lily of the Valley leaves are poisonous. So, for this time, I bought some to make my Chicken & Wild Garlic Pie.

Ingredients:

2 medium chicken breasts, chopped into centimetre cubes
50g wild garlic leaves, roughly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. oil
30g butter
2 tbsp. flour
300ml chicken stock
1/2 glass of wine
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 egg, beaten
pack of ready made shortcrust pastry

Method:

In a pan, fry the onion in the oil until translucent. Add the chicken and stir fry until mostly cooked. Add the flour, stir in well and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the floury taste. Then add half of the stock and mix well. Then add the wine and turn up the heat to cook off the alcohol. Finally add the remaining stock, along with the garlic leaves, thyme and sage. Stir well and cook on a medium heat for a further five minutes until the leaves are wilted and the sauce a thick gravy. Put chicken mix into two individual pie dishes, or one larger one.

Cut the pastry to fit, Press down on the edges with the back of a spoon and decorate the top with leftover scraps of pastry. Brush with egg and cook in the oven at 180 C for approx. 25 minutes.

Serve piping hot with boiled potatoes and peas. Yummy!

Blackened Steak with Garlic Puree

This recipe is just taking simple ingredients and elevating them up to as high as you can in flavour. The steak is blackened simply by marinating in a few herbs and spices and pan frying and resting for the correct time, so its juicy moist in the middle. Its all in the resting.

The garlic puree came about because I struggle to make a garlic sauce that's...well...garlicky enough. I'm not a huge fan of garlic butter so I made this. The garlic is cooked in milk so its mellow and sweet without the sharp kick and it complements a steak better than any other accompaniment, in my opinion.

For the steak marinade whisk together:

1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. paprika
1/4 cup olive oil

Put the steaks in the marinade and leave to chill for a couple of hours before pan frying. When its cooked to your liking, make sure you rest the steaks in foil, covered with a tea towel for about 3 minutes. Perfect!

Then there is the Garlic Puree.

Separate and peel 2 whole bulbs of garlic (you need about 18 cloves). Put in a small pan and cover with milk. Cook on a low heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and tender. Put the cloves with some of the milk into a hand blender and blitz until you have a paste. You can add more milk if you want it thinner than I have here.

The great thing is that you can put whatever you don't eat into the fridge in a small pot and use it in anything. A spoonful of this is any dinner will save you the hassle of peeling and chopping garlic! Personally though, I like it on its own as a sauce or a dip.



Perfect steak dinner!

Fresh Thai Orange Salad

The final dish that was in the Thai dinner we had last night was a Thai Orange Salad. Fresh, colourful, crunchy and with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.

An old favourite: Thai Orange Salad

Ingredients:

thinly sliced cabbage (about a quarter)
1 small carrot, grated
2 inch piece mooli, sliced thinly
3 spring onions, sliced
25g fresh coriander, chopped
2 large oranges, pith removed & segmented

For the dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped finely
2 tbsp. sesame oil

Add all the salad ingredients to a bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and dress the salad just before serving. Top with chopped peanuts and serve.

Thai meal all together. Was delicious!

Thai Chicken Satay

Not a dish for those allergic to peanuts!!! But if you're not - what luck. This is just such a nice comforting taste. I only had my first chicken satay (long story) a few weeks ago. I loved it so much I had to make it myself. Which was difficult in a way because I wasn't exactly sure how it was meant to taste exactly, or whether to serve it hot or cold?!

I made the dish adding bits here and there and served it hot with chicken that had been marinating all afternoon, simply grilled quickly. It was lovely.

For the chicken:   (makes 5-6 skewers - serves 2)

2 medium chicken breasts
1/2 cup (125ml) coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped finely
1 tsp. garlic, chopped finely
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Slice the chicken lengthwise into about 5 strips. Put into a zip lock bag along with the rest of the ingredients and chill for about 2 hours.

When about to cook, soak wooden skewers in cold water for about 1/2 hour and then thread the chicken strips onto them in a zig-zag motion. Set grill to its highest setting and grill for about 7 minutes turning frequently.

For the satay sauce:

3/4 cup (200ml) coconut milk
1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp. fish sauce
4 tbsp. peanut butter
3 tbsp. caster sugar
2 tsp. tamarind paste
1 tbsp. soy sauce.
2 tbsp. chopped peanuts

In a small pan, heat the coconut milk with the curry paste until dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir on a low heat as it thickens. Serve HOT over the chicken skewers and top with chopped peanuts. Delicious!

Thai Prawn Cakes & Coriander Dip

Last night I cooked Thai food. One of my favourite foods to cook and eat. I tend to change the recipe (and the size) of the Prawn cakes every time I make them - but these were my favourites.

I wrote it down quickly. You need to make a note of everything when cooking Thai food because its a little bit of this, a little of that (taste)...more lime, a touch more sugar.. and its easy to forget while you are getting that perfect Thai taste. This was what I did.



Thai Prawn Cakes

Ingredients:  (makes about 10)

225g raw large prawns
1/2 onion
1 slice bread
1/2 beaten egg
pinch cayenne pepper
1 green chilli
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. oil (for frying)

Method: Put all of the above ingredients (apart from the oil) into a food processor and blend well. Put in a bowl and leave in the fridge until ready to cook.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and take small amounts to make a 1 1/2 inch patty. Fry on both sides and then drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in the oven while you make the rest.

For the dip:

2 cloves garlic
1 large green chilli
1 tbsp. palm sugar (normal sugar is fine too)
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. fish sauce
25g fresh coriander
1 tbsp. water

Using a hand blender, blitz all of the ingredients until combined to make a loose dip. Put into serving dishes and serve with the prawn cakes. Delicious!

Thai Prawn Cakes with Coriander Dip

 

Piri Piri Sizzling Chicken with Garlic and Padron Chillies

This is similar to a dish that I always order when visiting my sister, who lives close to a place that does traditional English fare. I have tried a few of their dishes and they are always good - but this one I have returned to a few times. Its so simple but so tasty and made special by being served on a sizzling platter. This one I have made using my own Piri-Piri marinade for extra spice!

Having recently bought some sizzling platters, I knew I had to make it myself. And I had some Padron chillies in the fridge that needed using up. Padrons are Spanish chillies that you just cook by themselves with a touch of salt and eat them whole. Apparently one in fifty is really hot, while the rest are mild. But I have only had a couple of hot ones myself. They are the nicest tasting mild chilli though and I quite like the feeling of not knowing if it'll be scorching hot!

Ingredients:   (Serves 2)

2 large chicken breasts, skin removed
6 cloves garlic, skin left on
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red/orange pepper
Padron chillies

For the Piri -Piri marinade:
3 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp hot chilli powder
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Method:

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. In between two pieces cling film, flatten the chicken breasts and then slice. Add to the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

In a large pan or wok, cook the onions, peppers and the garlic (still in skin) in 1 tbsp. oil and cook on a medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The garlic will cook in its skin without burning and will mellow in flavour. When the vegetables are soft and browning, push them to one side of the pan and add the chicken pieces, discarding any remaining marinade. The chicken won't take long as its thin. Stir fry for a few moments and serve hot.

If using sizzle plates, put them in the oven while you cook the onions and then put them onto the gas hob as you serve. To get that extra full sizzle, squeeze just a little lemon juice on top.

For the Padron chillies, just toss in olive oil, sprinkle with seas salt and pop in the oven (180 C) for 10-15 minutes and serve on the side. Enjoy!

Note: You may want to remove the skin from the garlic when serving - its a matter of taste. I personally eat them whole, skin included as I like them like that!

Lemon Cookies

This is a adapted from a Botswanian recipe and uses condensed milk in the cookie dough.. So very light and melt in the mouth, these lemon biscuits are quick to make and very easy to eat!

I know biscuits are readily available in most places but there is something nice about a homemade cookie and the wait for them to cool down. They make the house smell delicious too!

Ingredients:    (Makes 36)

100g caster sugar
225g butter, softened
200ml condensed milk
zest and juice of 2 large lemons
350g plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
icing sugar to finish

Method:

Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk gradually incorporating into the mix. Then add the lemon zest and juice and stir in. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Combine the two to get a soft dough.

Set the oven to 170 C (160 C for fan oven) and line a couple of baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Taking a small amount of dough, make a 1 inch ball, place it on the baking paper and press a fork in the top to flatten slightly. Continue, leaving a little space in between each ball.

Put in the oven for 12 minutes, or until just starting to colour (you want them a light colour). Cool on a wire rack and when completely cool, dust with icing sugar. Delicate and light, these lemon cookies are lovely.



 

Ham Hock Dutch Bitterballen

I read about these before I even tried them, in a little cookbook I bought in Amsterdam and just knew I would love them. The next time I flew over to see friends I had them twice and they were just so delicious. Hot crunchy balls of yumminess. They generally have beef in them and you dip them in mustard. So good.

However, I had some shredded ham hock left over from the pea and ham soup the other day and thought...well why not? They are similar enough to a croquette that you would get in Spain and they put ham in theirs. So I came up with this new recipe: Ham Hock Bitterballen.

Ingredients:      (makes about 24)

200g shredded, and then chopped, ham hock
400ml vegetable stock (from stock cube)
30g butter
30g flour
nutmeg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
oil for frying
2 eggs
breadcrumbs

Method:

Put the butter in a medium pan and melt. Add the flour, stir well and let the flour cook out for a few moments. Slowly add the hot vegetable stock, stirring all the time, until its a creamy sauce.

Add the shredded ham to the sauce along with the garlic powder, mustard, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Spread out onto a plate and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.

Beat the eggs and put into a dish. Put the breadcrumbs in another dish beside it. Have a bowl of cold water handy to wet your hands before rolling. With wet hands, pick about a tablespoon of the cold ham mix and roll into a ball. Carry on until all rolled. Then dip the first one in egg, then breadcrumbs, then repeat so they have two layers of crumb (makes them crispier).

Keep dipping the other rolled balls until all completed. Heat oil to about 2 inches in a sturdy pan and when hot, fry the Bitterballen for about 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven until all cooked. Serve piping hot with mustard for dipping on the side. Delicious!

Ham Hock Bitterballen!

Note: (For information on how to cook the ham hock, please see the pea and ham recipe from a few days ago.)

Note: To get a uniform shape, cut the cold ham mix in half with a knife and keep cutting to make 24 pieces. They will look small, but they get bigger with the breadcrumbs.

Botswanian Groundnut Chicken Stew with Okra

This was a last minute change to my plans. I had some chicken breasts and had a plan to pan fry them with quinoa, but The Bloke intervened just before he left for work. He noted that a lot of readers on the blog were from Botswana and casually suggested I should try something from there. He then left for work and I sat for a moment, agreeing with him. 

So this is the dish I came up with. Botswana do an amazing dish called Groundnut Stew. Now after some research I found that peanuts are not actually a nut but from the legume family.What is a legume? It is a type of plant with seeds that grow inside pods such as peas or beans. Unlike nuts, which are grown on trees, peanuts grow underground. Hence Groundnut Stew.

I threw in some okra at the end, which is not traditional to the dish although as often the way, there any many versions. Some adding fresh tomatoes, some adding brown sugar. I did my version. You can really put in any vegetable - in fact having tried it now, I think green beans would work better than okra - but I guess that's a matter of taste.

Ingredients:  (Serves 4)

3 chicken breasts, skin removed, chopped into large chunks
120g peanut butter
100g tomato paste
1 fat clove garlic, crushed
1 inch piece ginger, chopped finely
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup (250ml) cold water
1 scotch bonnet, left whole and pierced with a knife
1 tbsp. oil
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
handful veg of choice, green beans/okra

Method:

Make the sauce by putting the peanut butter, tomato paste, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes in a bowl. Slowly add the water, mixing as you go to make a creamy sauce. Leave to one side.

In a non-stick pan, fry the onion and green pepper for 5 minutes until tender. Add the chicken and continue to cook. Pour the sauce over the top, stir and leave to simmer for 30 mins, partly covered. You will need to stir quite a bit as even in a non stick pan, the peanut butter can cause it to stick at the bottom. Then add the green beans or okra and the whole scotch bonnet chilli for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with rice and remember to remove the whole chilli!

Note: During my research into the food of Botswana I found a lovely little recipe for lemon biscuits. I think I'll make them today!

Ham Hock and Pea Soup

A few weeks ago in the local butchers I was browsing to look for something new. I spied a 1.4kg ham hock. I normally buy gammon but having never actually cooked a ham hock before I decided to buy it. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it but figured I'd think of something.

I decided to made Ham Hock and Pea soup. I normally buy a cut of gammon for this but knew that the ham hock being on the bone would produce a better stock. The Bloke noticed the difference immediately saying it the best ham soup I've made. I had to agree. It was better - delicious in fact. And once you have gone through the soaking of the ham overnight and boiled the meat - the soup takes no time at all. And the ham hock only being £2.47  (and enough to make 2 different meals, the next of which I will put up later this week) made the soup very cheap indeed!

The best way is to soak the ham overnight on a Friday night to remove the salt. Cook the ham on the Saturday and refrigerate. On the Sunday morning remove any fat from the stock and shred the meat for the soup. Its a few days, true, but its an easy thing to do in the background and will have you looking forward to the best soup ever!

Ingredients:    (Makes enough soup for 4)

1 ham hock (1.5kg or so)
4 bay leaves
25g butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 potato chopped
1 small carrot, sliced thinly
500g frozen peas
100ml double cream
parmesan (to finish)
black pepper

Soak the ham hock in a large pot of water overnight to remove the salt and drain the next morning. Put the ham back in the pot, fill with fresh water and the bay leaves and boil for 2 1/2 hours. Leave the ham to cool in the stock before removing, reserving the stock into a jug. The fat will rise to the surface to be removed. Shred the ham and put 1/3 into one container (all you need for the soup). Put the other 2/3 of the ham into another container for another use.

To make the soup, fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes and then add the potato and carrot. Cook on a medium heat stirring to prevent sticking. Then add the peas and 1 litre of the reserved stock. Bring to the boil and simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes. Lower the heat, add the cream and season with just black pepper (no salt needed). Blitz with a hand blender, leaving a few chunks of peas un-pureed for texture. Add the ham and stir through. Serve hot with parmesan grated or shaved on top and with buttered brown bread.

Note: The remaining shredded 2/3 of the ham I plan to use for something else - I do have an idea.. and will put up on the blog soon!

Steak Stroganoff Pie

Friday was Eclipse Day! I bought the  special glasses and was up and ready in the garden for a spectacle of seeing the moon passing over the sun. Sadly, we live in London which, at this time of year, is just cloud. So I saw nothing - apart from a few neighbours waving at me and laughing at my naivety and hope from the warmth indoors. It was not to be.

I knew I was making Stroganoff pies that night - so in homage I added the only thing I would see close to an eclipse on the top of the pie. Easy pies to cook as you make the filling in 10-15 minutes and cut a shape of pastry and bake it separately in the same time adding it at the end - why not? Its still a pie (of sorts).

And it was rather yummy. Steak Stroganoff Pie.

Ingredients:      (makes enough for 2 large pies)

320g pack of ready rolled puff pastry
2 x fillet steak (beef)
1 tbsp. oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100g baby button mushrooms, halved
1 tsp. paprika
100ml double cream
1 tsp. English mustard
3 tbsp. brandy

Set the oven to 200 C. Cut the pastry lids to fit whatever dish you be serving the individual pie in. It doesn't have to fit perfectly. Brush with a little milk, put on a lightly oiled baking sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes.

Cut the steak thinly in strips and sprinkle with the paprika and some ground black pepper in a bowl. In a pan, cook the onion and garlic together in the oil for 5 minutes until tender. Add the steak strips and mushrooms and stir fry until the beef only just cooked (still a little pink in the middle). Add the brandy and turn up the heat for a moment to cook off the alcohol. Then add the cream and mustard and stir and cook on a medium heat to thicken. Season to taste with a little salt.

Pile into serving dishes and add the pastry lids on top. Serve hot with chips and steamed vegetables on the side.

Enjoy!

Sumac Chicken Kebabs & Zucchini Tzatziki

Last night having made a huge stack of flatbreads - I knew I needed the perfect filler. Kebabs.

Sumac is a lemon tasting spice which is grown mostly in Africa and North America and I have started to use it as a marinade instead of lemon which is better as I find lemon very acidic.

The Zucchini Tzatziki was simply due to the fact that I had no cucumber, which is the usual recipe, but I did have a few courgettes. And you know - its rather good.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
2 tbsp. sumac
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. olive oil.
salt & pepper

Method:

Cut the chicken into bite sizes pieces and put into a food/freezer bag. Add the other ingredients and massage into the chicken. Leave in the refrigerator to marinade for between 1-4 hours. When ready to cook, soak 4 wooden skewers in cold water for a few minutes and thread on the chicken. Turn grill to high and cook for about 10 minutes, turning a few times.

For the Zucchini Tzatziki:

Grate one medium zucchini and place in a clean tea towel or some muslin. Squeeze as much water out as you can by twisting the fabric. Put into a bowl with 150g low fat natural yoghurt, 1 grated clove of garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of olive oil and salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Serve chilled with chicken kebabs, flatbreads and chilli sauce (I used the Mexican Chipotles recipe from the other day and it was delicious!)

Simple food - great taste!

Imam Bayildi and Easy Homemade Flatbreads

I always have Imam Bayildi as a side dish when I go to Turkish Restaurants. Its a slowly baked whole stuffed aubergine (eggplant) in a rich tomato and garlic sauce. It was a staple for me back in the 'vegetarian years' as it was pretty easy to make after work and I'd make a few ready to be put in the oven.

It holds its own as a vegetarian main dish with a salad and flatbreads or can be a side dish to anything from steak to chicken kebabs. Here I have sprinkled on toasted breadcrumbs before serving as the crunchy texture goes so well with the creamy, soft aubergine underneath.

For those who are curious - Imam Bayildi means the 'Imam fainted' and the story goes that many years ago a Turkish Imam swooned when he tasted his wife dish of aubergine, tomatoes and olive oil. Another story is that he fainted because she couldn't make the dish for her husband as they had run out of olive oil. I have no idea why, or if, he fainted, but this is a lovely quick vegetarian dish that anyone would enjoy.

I also added the flatbread recipe as I think they are by far the easiest, cheapest, quickest flatbreads you could have. Two ingredients is all you need. And a dry frying pan.

Ingredients:    (Serves 2)

2 aubergines
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, sliced
400g tinned tomatoes
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
juice of 1/2 lemon
handful breadcrumbs

Method:

Set the oven to 180 C. There is an on-going debate about whether to salt aubergines because they hold too much liquid and are bitter, but these days this is rarely needed, especially if the aubergines are small and fresh. Cut them in half lengthways and scoop out some of the seedy middle part. Chop this and leave to one side. In 1 tbsp. oil, fry the aubergines for a few minutes to slightly soften. Remove and leave to one side.

In another tablespoon of oil, gently fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, then adding the chopped aubergine centres. Add the tomatoes, sugar and paprika and cook for another 5 minutes. Put the aubergines snuggly into a small dish and fill the holes in the aubergines, pouring any sauce in and around them.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the dish. Lightly toast the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top before serving.

For the flatbread:

Put 2 cups all purpose flour into a bowl. Add 1 cup plain low fat yoghurt and stir in until you get a soft dough. Separate in half, then half again and then again to get 8 pieces. Roll one into a ball and on a floured work surface roll out thinly into a circle. Heat a dry frying pan and add the dough circle. Cook for a few minutes on each side and leave to cool on a tea towel. Easy - no yeast needed! You can add a touch of salt if you like, though.

Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

Chipotles in Adobo is a staple in Mexican cooking. Most Mexicans buy them ready made in cans particularly because the quality is so good. You can actually buy Chipotle Paste in most London stores now, but they don't have the whole chillies in the sauce - which I think they should be because they are smoky, hot and frankly delicious!

Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapenos and many people (including myself) grow them so I thought I'd put up this recipe. I made it when having a friend visiting recently as I was doing a Mexican feast and I felt it was necessary to have it on the table. It was hot and smoky and lovely. And you can do so much with it. Yesterday I took a few spoonful's, chopped the whole chipotles and mixed it with mayonnaise and lime - and it was insanely good.

The best thing to do, is to blend the chipotles into the sauce to make a delicious chilli sauce. Its hot and bursts with flavour.

Dried chillies are sold in so many places now - I got these chipotle chillies in Brighton when visiting family a while ago as I have used up the dried ones we made from the home-grown batch. In the same store I also got the Ancho (Poblano) chilli that is also in this recipe. But both the chipotle and the ancho chillies are also sold in general supermarkets.

Ingredients:

About 20-25 small dried chipotle chillies
1 large dried Ancho (poblano) chilli
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 onion, sliced thinly
5 cloves garlic, sliced thickly
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
150g light brown sugar
170ml white wine vinegar
170ml rice vinegar
salt & pepper

Method:

In a small pan, boil the large ancho chilli for 15 minutes until soft. Leave to cool in the water and drain. Put the chilli and the tinned tomatoes into a hand blender and blitz until combined. Set aside.

Boil the chipotle chillies in boiling water the same way until plumped up and softened. Leave in the water to further soak while you make a start on the sauce.

In a large pan, fry the carrot, onion and garlic in 1 tbsp. oil for a few minutes until tender. Add the tomato/chilli mix and stir through. Add the herbs, salt & sugar. Stir and cook on a medium heat to thicken. Now add the vinegars and continue cooking for a further 20 minutes on a simmer. Drain the chipotles and add to the sauce. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes and leave to cool in the pan.

Put the sauce into jars, cover and refrigerate until use. 

OR: use a hand blender to use as a regular chipotle sauce. Delicious!

The canned Mexican variety
 

Salmon & Leek Ravioli with a Basil Cream Sauce

A few weeks ago when I had salmon, this was a dish I considered making, but put it off because making pasta can be fiddly and you need a bit of patience, Its not difficult to make pasta, and the rolling machine now makes its as thin as you like. But I tend to make each one by hand - its how I've always done it, which takes time if you want it to look nice.

I do think its worth it though and you always get a little sense of pride in a dish that is so handmade. This is a good dish if you have guests over, as it can be prepared before they arrive and not only takes minutes to cook - but looks impressive.

So salmon ravioli it had to be. The basil cream sauce just adds a nice touch of richness and luxury (and its quick).

For the pasta:

Tip 1 & 3/4 cups of '00' pasta flour out onto the work surface and make a well in the centre. Crack in 3 medium eggs (ideally fresh from your friends chickens - thank you Shelly). Using a fork, whisk the eggs lightly, slowly incorporating the flour. Keep whisking and you end up with a dough. You don't want it too sticky, just soft. Wrap in cling film and leave on the counter while you make the filling.

For the filling:

2 salmon fillets (skinless, cubed, about 300g)
1/2 leek, white part, sliced thinly
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. white wine
1 egg
2 tbsp. parmesan
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
zest of a lemon
salt & pepper

In  the oil, gently fry the leeks until soft. Add the salmon and cook until only just cooked. Add the white wine and turn up the heat to cook off the alcohol and tip into a food processor. Let cool for a few minutes and add the remaining ingredients. Place in the fridge until ready to assemble.

Using a pasta rolling machine - or roll by hand with a rolling pin - to as thin as you can. Flouring the counter, cut out 2 inch rounds from the pasta with a cookie cutter. Have a small bowl of water to one side pick up one pasta round. Put a teaspoon of filling into the middle - then wet the rim of another round and add it to the top. Press to seal, pushing out any air. Place on a clean tea towel and keep filling until pasta used up. Leave to dry out a little.


For the sauce:

150ml white wine
150ml veg stock
100ml double cream
2 tbsp. basil
salt & pepper

Put the wine in a small pan and cook on high to reduce by half. Add the vegetable stock and again cook on high to reduce by half. Turn down the heat and add the cream and basil. Leave to cook and slightly thicken on a low heat for 10 mins while you boil the pasta. Season to taste.

In a large pan of boiling water, put the ravioli in for approx. 10 minutes (depending on the thickness, taste to check). Drain well and serve with rocket and spoon the basil sauce over the pasta. Serve with freshly grated parmesan. Delicious!

Note: The way I cut the basil is called 'chiffonade'. You put the basil leaves on top of each other and roll up. Slice thinly. You can do it this way or just finely chop it.

Chicken Katsu with Tonkatsu Sauce

This is a Japanese dish that is very popular in Hawaii. One of my favourite dishes, I nearly always make Chicken Katsu Curry. Which is a flattened out chicken breast, coated in Panko breadcrumbs and either pan fried or baked (I always bake them), served with a curry sauce. Its delicious with steamed rice and a mandarin & radish salad.

This is the same Katsu chicken but served with a Tonkatsu sauce which is like a Japanese BBQ/Worcestershire/fruit sauce that I have made my version of. Usually this sauce is served with the pork version..

For the chicken:

Flatten out 2 chicken breasts by putting them in between some cling film and using a rolling pin. Then dip in one beaten egg, followed by a coating of Panko breadcrumbs. Lay on a baking sheet and bake at 200 C for about 20-25 minutes. Remove and slice into strips.

For the Tonkatsu sauce:

125g tomato ketchup
1 grated apple
75ml sake (Japanese wine)
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
1 inch piece ginger grated
2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Put all of the above ingredients into a small pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cook to reduce until thickened. Cool and serve at room temperature with the chicken and a salad of choice. I did a tomato Panzanella salad - which seems an odd idea as its Italian but somehow goes beautifully with the Japanese style BBQ chicken.

Note 1: Japanese Panko breadcrumbs are available in most supermarkets and is a much larger type of breadcrumb.

Note 2: You can substitute the Japanese Sake wine for any dry white wine.

Irish Colcannon and Onion Gravy

Being St Patricks Day yesterday, and being half Irish, whilst listening to Irish music in the kitchen I made sure to have a hearty Irish dinner. There are so many to choose from but I fancied Colcannon.

Now Colcannon is from the South of Ireland and its mashed potatoes with cabbage - but there is also Champ from the North of Ireland which is mashed potatoes mixed with spring onions (scallions). I decided to do a mix of both. With lashings of home made onion gravy. And a couple of Irish sausages.

Here I have the recipe for the colcannon and the gravy. No doubt my next challenge will be buying a sausage casing machine so I can make my own sausages too. First - the colcannon:

Ingredients:  (Enough for 3-4)

3 large potatoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 small savoy cabbage, chopped
6 spring onions, chopped
butter
milk
salt & pepper

Method:

Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes until soft, drain. Boil or steam the cabbage for 10 minutes, drain & put into a bowl with the spring onions. Mash the potatoes with butter and a splash of milk and combine with the cabbage and spring onions. Cover and keep warm until serving.

For the Onion Gravy:

2 medium onions, peeled and cut into rings
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
25g butter
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
400ml strong beef stock (2 stock cubes if using)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp dried thyme
splash white wine (optional)

Heat the oil and the butter and fry the onions on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the sugar to the onions, cover and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until beginning to brown. Add the flour and mix in well with the butter. Let that cook on a low heat for 2 minutes then add a little of the hot stock, mixing well. Slowly add the rest of the stock, continually stirring, then turn up the heat to high and add the wine (if using), the bay leaves, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Cook on high for 4-5 minutes. Then turn the heat to medium and cook until thickened.